Annabel Lee
by M. Newman
Summary: Sequel to The White Sheep. How Sirius Black loved and lost his true love.
1. A Chance Encounter

Rated PG-13 for Abuse and Language

**DISCLAIMER**: Harry Potter does not in any way, shape, or form belong to me. I merely steal J.K. Rowling's world and twist it to suit my needs (heh heh).

**Summary:** Kalila Rajaram falls in love with Sirius. What sort of mayhem will ensue?

Chapter One: A Chance Encounter

I can still remember the first time I fell in love with Sirius' magical, smoldering eyes. I was walking around the corner coming back from the library with my arms stacked high with books when a force struck me like a meteorite. We both tumbled to the floor with books flying everywhere. I could practically see Madam Camp, the librarian, swooping down on us for manhandling her precious tomes. I looked up to see a very handsome disheveled Gryffindor. He was blushing slightly and he scrambled to help me pick up my belongings. I vaguely recognized him as a pure blood who several Ravenclaw girls had been swooning over in the bathroom.

"Here, let me carry these for you," he quickly offered. I reluctantly accepted his help and he took half the books out of my arms. Just as I was wondering why he would bother helping a dork like me, he asked me if I could help him. I merely raised an eyebrow.

"I played a prank on Bellatrix and I need a place to hide from her posse. Can I hide in your common room?"

"Yes!" I blurted before I could even contemplate the question. I was so surprised that a popular, _pure-blooded_ boy would even deign to speak to me, I completely forgot myself.

Immediately before I said 'Jane Austen' to the statue of Rosalind Franklin, I angrily realized what exactly a well known prankster pure-blood would want with a Mudblood like myself.

"What is this, some sort of trick? Well, if you think that I am just going to stand here and allow you entrance to Ravenclaw dormitories and common room, you can just go to-"

I was interrupted by a gang of angry Slytherins rounding the corner with a truly awful girl I knew only by sight and reputation.

The wench pointed at Sirius and shouted, "There's the blood traitor!"

All the Slytherins pulled their wands out and collectively drew a breath to begin cursing us.

"Jane Austen," I whispered to Rosalind and ushered him through the narrow door and into the common rooms. I yanked the "blood traitor" towards a an enormous window and said, "I should think that you owe me an explanation!"

He smiled as though he didn't know how to feel, how to react to this crazy Ravenclaw Mudblood.

"Are you sure you _want_ an explanation?" he asked slowly. I nodded firmly and pointed at an enormous blue armchair perfect for reading a book on a rainy day.

"Sit," I said quietly and settled into a matching blue sofa beside him. He sank slowly into the welcoming arm chair. He sighed deeply, closed his eyes, and massaged his forehead.

"Where to begin?" he paused slightly. "Did you see that girl in the front of the pack of Slytherins attempting to kill us both?"

"How could I miss her?" I asked shortly. _Get to the point!_

Ravenclaws are not noted for their patience.

"Do you know her at all?" he asked.

"No."

He looked up and smiled wearily. "That girl is my cousin."

My suspicions about pure-bloods came back tenfold. If that girl was a relative of his and if even half the stories about that girl were true… What had I done? He's probably a Slytherin who just stole a Gryffindor's robes. _I invited him into the Ravenclaw common rooms!_ I began backing away from him without even realizing what I was doing. I froze when I saw the look on his face change from surprised at my reaction to pained.

"No, no! You've got it all wrong! That… that thing is _exactly_ what my whole bloody family is like! That is what I have had to live with for the past fifteen years! I swear, I am nothing like my family!"

"And who exactly is your family?" I timidly asked. I had researched all the pure-blood families when I came to Hogwarts; if he named any branch of the extensive Britain pure-blood lines, I would know about it.

He smirked. "I feel like I should give you a disclaimer first. You know, like even though I am most regrettably related to these people, I neither condone nor participate in any of their activities. Something like that.

"My name is Sirius Black. I can trace my ancestry back to the Nigellus, Weasley, and, most regrettably, the Lestrange line. My cousins are Narcissa and Andromeda. Andromeda is surprisingly decent. She's a lot older than me, though, so I don't know her too well. She's already married… to a Muggle! Whenever we met at family reunions, she would say, 'How's the other white sheep of the Black family?' However, Narcissa… How do I put this? Well, she's betrothed to Lucius Malfoy."

I gasped in horror. I had never actually met Lucius Malfoy (he had graduated seven years previously), but stories of his atrocities lingered like a bad taste. The boy smiled at my obvious horror.

"So I know your whole family but I don't even know your name?" I asked teasingly.

"I apologize. I am Sirius Black. And you are…?"

"Kalila Rajaram."

"I'm sorry, Kalila, but I have to get back to the Tower before curfew. I'm sure you've heard of my vigilant obedience to rules." I grinned, thinking of Sirius' legendary pranks. "But I would love to meet you again, preferably with different circumstances."

"That would be lovely. Isn't there a Hogsmeade weekend coming up?" I asked as I escorted him to the door.

"I believe so. Shall I meet you?"

"That would be nice," I smiled.

"Thank you so much. For everything."

"Don't worry about it. It really is no problem. I'll see you at Hogsmeade."

As I watched him walk down the long, empty corridor alone, I was surprised to find a smile on my lips and a spring in my step as I returned to my solitary studies.

_**Annabel Lee **_

_It was many and many a year ago,_

_In a kingdom by the sea,_

_That a maiden there lived whom you may know_

_By the name of ANNABEL LEE;_

_And this maiden she lived with no other thought_

_Than to love and be loved by me._

_I was a child and she was a child,_

_In this kingdom by the sea;_

_But we loved with a love that was more than love-_

_I and my Annabel Lee;_

_With a love that the winged seraphs of heaven_

_Coveted her and me._


	2. Kalila and the Great Trelawney

**Annabel Lee**

**Part 2 Kalila and the Great Trelawney**

I waited nervously by Hogwarts' main exit the students use to get to Hogsmeade. Maybe he wasn't coming! My fears and self-doubt seemed to triple by the second as I anxiously bit my lower lip. Finally, I saw Sirius round the corner flanked by a Hufflepuff I knew only by sight, the most popular (and the most conceited) boy ever to attend Hogwarts-one James Potter, and a Ravenclaw two years below me named Remus Lupin. Either his illnesses were strangely coinciding with the phases of the moon, or that quietly handsome boy was a werewolf.

Sirius finally noticed me by the door and waved me over. I walked as calmly as I could. I have never been good in social situations; books are my closest and, until I came to Hogwarts, only friends. I smiled at Sirius-more motivated by nerves than any happiness I was feeling. Sirius' three friends gave me inquisitive glances until Sirius took charge.

"Right, then. This is Kalila Rajaram, the girl who I told you about."

James's eyebrows arched and he thrust his hand forward. He flashed me his trademark grin that set most girls swooning.

"James Potter." I shook his hand tentatively. I could feel the glares I was receiving from many of the female Hogwarts students on the back of my neck.

"I know who you are," I responded, albeit a bit frostily. He blinked and took his hand back bemusedly. I could practically see his few brain cells grinding into action, attempting to contemplate my aloof response. The Hufflepuff was glaring daggers at me. It was clear who his loyalty belonged to. The werewolf edged his way to the front.

"It's a pleasure meeting you, Kalila. My name is Remus Lupin." I actually genuinely smiled at the nervous fifth year.

"I know who you are. You were the reigning champion in the dueling club." His eyes widened in recognition and he chuckled.

"Until last year when you joined and trounced everyone," Remus finished good-naturedly. James, Sirius, and the pudgy little Hufflepuff boy looked impressed. James whistled.

"I didn't know anyone could actually beat you, Remus," James exclaimed with his typical gusto. I delicately blushed.

Finally, I turned to the Hufflepuff. "I apologize; I didn't quite catch your name."

He seemed shocked to be addressed. He looked as though no girl had ever noticed him, as if he had been utterly eclipsed by his friends.

"P-Peter Petttigrew," he stammered. I smiled kindly at him, trying in vain to keep the pity out of my eyes. I could see Sirius giving his friends meaningful looks and nodding his head towards the door out of the corner of my eye.

"Didn't you three want to go to Honeydukes or the Three Broomsticks or something?" Sirius asked pointedly.

"Well, we don't really need to go, we can just ask-" James began teasingly before Sirius stepped on James's toe. Hard. With a mocking scowl, James, Remus, and Peter said their good-byes and left. Sirius and I joined the crowd leaving Hogwarts soon after. We walked in silence until Sirius broke the silence.

"So, where do you reckon we ought to go?" he asked awkwardly.

"Personally, I recommend Satsuki's."

"I've never heard of it before."

"Most people haven't," I informed him. "My family lives here, so I know my way around. Satsuki's is a little tea shop. Puddifoot's gets more attention, but Satsuki's is better, in my opinion. I haven't been there since I came to Hogwarts."

"In that case, lead the way."

Upon entering the cozy tea shop, we were overwhelmed with the scents of incense, candles, and tea. Satsuki's was dimly lit by Japanese lanterns and flickering candles. I breathed in the warm, heady aroma with relish and turned smiling to Sirius.

"We should get our fortunes told!" Sirius exclaimed eagerly. "You can go while I get us a table."

I shrugged indifferently but walked towards the sign in the back of the shop. I barely had time to read the sign ("Tea Readings by Madame Trelawney") before I entered the small room by way, pushing the silky curtain out of my way. An extraordinarily slim woman with large glasses blinked at me owlishly. Her arms and hands were covered with gaudy jewelry. The entire room was, like its occupant, draped in gauzy silks.

"Hello, my dear. Are you here to gaze into the future with Madame Trelawney?"

I shrugged my shoulders, pushed aside my misgivings and sat down. "I suppose I am," I said while she poured tea into a pink teacup and handed it to me.

"Drink it quickly," Madame Trelawney said. I gulped the scalding tea and gave it with not a small amount of trepidation to the slightly shaking witch who was looking at me eagerly through her bejeweled, oversized spectacles. She peered into the cup and shrieked. She looked at me with wide eyes made larger by her glasses.

"My dear, have you seen any large, black dogs?"

I raised an eyebrow. "No. Should I have?"

She breathed deeply and appeared to be about to do something terribly dramatic. I couldn't help rolling my eyes as she rose theatrically from her spindly chair, knocking it over in her enthusiasm.

"The Grim, my dear! I see the Grim!" she proclaimed loudly while pointing somewhere past me with a distant look in her eyes. I blinked and began to back towards the door.

"Look, a lot of people know I'm here, so-" I turned to leave, but the psychotic witch grabbed my arm.

"Stop! You haven't paid yet," Madame Trelawney cried piteously. I turned to look at this pathetic creature. She seemed to have shrunk from the aftereffects of her all-powerful Oz routine. Upon closer inspection, her jewelry was cracking and her cloths had gaping holes in them. I found myself giving her a rather large tip. She smiled gratefully as I left as quickly as I could without openly running. Sirius waved me over and I plopped onto the small, poufy armchair across a small, circular table from him.

"What a psycho," I moaned as I rolled my eyes. "She must have started here while I was at Hogwarts."

"Oh, really? You think so?" he asked politely. I nodded fervently. "Because that's my aunt," he said solemnly. I stared at him in shock. _What have I done?_ I stammered out an apology, but he started laughing. "I wasn't serious! What did she say anyway?"

"She kept on babbling about a big, black dog."

Sirius squirmed in his seat.

An awkward silence passed before I asked, "So, what's it like to be friends with the great James Potter?"

Sirius gave me an odd look. "You sound slightly hostile."

"Well, let's just say that I'm not exactly a founding member of his illustrious fan club. After all, I'm no Hufflepouf!"

Sirius chuckled. "Did you know that one of his fan clubs has a monthly newspaper? They actually interviewed Lupin last week. Fortunately, my Slytherin robes seem to have put them off of interviewing me."

He leaned back in his enormous chair and said, "So, what's your family like? You already know all about mine."

"Well, mine isn't as… interesting as yours." Sirius snorted. "For one thing, my family is completely Muggle. My parents moved here from India when I was a year old. My parents were shocked when I got the letter from Hogwarts six years ago. I remember my first-" My trip down Memory Lane was interrupted by the arrival of my best friend. I stood up and called her over. "Lily! Come over here!"

As Lily walked over, I said to Sirius, "Lily is my best friend. We grew up together in Hogsmeade."

Sirius' eyes widened with shock and he sank down in his chair until the tip of his nose was roughly level with the table as Lily Evans happily strode over. Upon seeing my companion, however, her stride broke and an uncharacteristic sneer formed on her usually amiable face.

"What's _he_ doing here?" Lily asked scornfully. Her spite seemed to give Sirius enough energy to sit up and respond.

"Kalila invited me, the same as you. Can we put aside our differences long enough to have a cup of tea?" Sirius asked resignedly.

Lily reluctantly sat down, but a hint of her scowl remained.

"We were just talking about our families," I said, perhaps a tad too brightly. "Don't you have a sister, Lily?"

She nodded sulkily as a look of horror spread across Sirius' face. He sat up quickly and swallowed hard as though finally putting two pieces of information together.

"Is her name… Petunia?" he asked anxiously.

She gasped slightly and said, "Yes! How did you know?"

Sirius ignored her question and asked, "Do you live in London, near Grimmauld Place?" he slowly asked, as if afraid to hear the answer. Her look of complete shock answered him for her. He knocked over his chair in his haste to leave.

"I need to go," he muttered and dashed out. I had risen out of my chair as well and silently stared after him.

I sluggishly sank into my chair. For once, Lily looked on wordlessly. I tipped my head to the side and said slowly, "That was odd."

"Indeed," Lily murmured. "Indeed."

A few weeks later, Sirius found me in the library, studying with Lily.

"…and he hasn't teased me for weeks- since you went to Hogsmeade with him." She caught her breath and a smug, self-assured smile crossed her face.

"Why, if it isn't the black spot on the face of Hogwarts. Whatever inspired you to grace us lowly Mudbloods with your presence?" Lily spat out spitefully.

I turned around to look at Sirius, who was gazing at Lily as if he hadn't seen that she was even there. He breathed deeply before saying, "Lily, do you mind if I speak to Kalila alone?"

Lily opened her mouth to protest, but I interrupted her. "That's okay, Lily. I'm pretty much done with Charms, anyway."

I gathered up my books in the uncomfortable silence and was pleasantly surprised when Sirius took them. We walked silently out of the library and away from Madame Camp's omnipresent, watchful eye. Once we had turned the corner, Sirius pulled me into an empty, unused classroom.

"I think that Lily is one of the only ones in the whole school brave enough to be nasty to me. Most people either see me as Bellatrix and Lucius's cousin-someone to be feared and detested- or James's Potter best friend-a demigod to be admired. She is refreshing," Sirius said fondly.

"Right. Let's get to the point, shall we?" I said bluntly. He smiled wryly and leaned casually against the wall.

"I'm really sorry I ran out of Satsuki's. It was a terribly rude thing to do and I'm incredibly sorry," Sirius said sincerely.

"Why did you wait so long to talk to me?" I asked, more than a little suspiciously, but I could feel his heartwarming grey eyes melting away some of my anger.

"I was afraid," he admitted sheepishly. "Will you please forgive me?"

"Of course I forgive you. Don't worry your pretty little head about it for one more moment," I said with a smirk of my own. I stretched my hand across the distance between us and found his hand. He squeezed my hand slightly and smiled.

"How did you know-" I began, but Sirius cut me off.

"Can we just put Satsuki's behind us?" he asked politely enough, but his sweet, puppy-dog eyes were begging me to stop.

"Okay, okay," I relented.

Looking into his eyes I realized that I didn't need to win fights with him. Just talking to him was enough.

_And this was the reason that, long ago,  
In this kingdom by the sea,  
A wind blew out of a cloud, chilling  
My beautiful Annabel Lee;  
So that her highborn kinsman came  
And bore her away from me,  
To shut her up in a sepulchre  
In this kingdom by the sea._

_The angels, not half so happy in heaven,  
Went envying her and me-  
Yes!- that was the reason (as all men know,  
In this kingdom by the sea)  
That the wind came out of the cloud by night,  
Chilling and killing my Annabel Lee._

6


	3. Paradise Lost

**ANNABEL LEE**

**Part III Paradise Lost**

I remember the last time I saw Sirius. We had grown apart since my graduation from Hogwarts. Two months after my graduation, I had a respectable job starting at the Ministry of Magic in Spain as the United Kingdom's ambassador's aide. My fourth year, my family couldn't pay for my education anymore. Somehow the Ambassador had found out about it. (I suspect Emily, one of my housemates, told him. She's the Ambassador's daughter.) He quietly offered me a job working in his office during the summer and on weekends and I've been working there ever since.

In any case, late one night I heard the door bell ring. When I opened the door, I saw Sirius standing on the doorstep. His face was slightly panicky as he asked to come in. I stepped aside as he anxiously hurried inside. I offered him a seat in the kitchen, but he said he'd prefer to stand. In the uncomfortable silence that followed, I began to make Darjeeling tea. He nursed his mug as he paced while I quietly sat, waiting to hear why he had come all the way to Madrid from London.

"Do you remember our first date at Hogsmeade?" Sirius asked abruptly and stopped pacing.

I nodded and said, "Yes, of course. How could I forget?"

_Especially the way it ended_, I couldn't help thinking.

"Then you must remember when Lily spoke of her sister, I well…" He seemed to be floundering for the appropriate phrase.

"Ran away?" I prodded gently.

Sirius smiled sheepishly. "Yeah, I suppose I did, didn't I? The reason I reacted so strangely is because when I was seven years old, I began to walk around the neighbourhood of one of my family's townhouses. One day, I met a little girl, Petunia Evans."

At this point, I could not help but gasp. Sirius was too submersed in his own past to notice my small interruption and continued without a pause.

"Petunia taught me how to skip rope. She was the sweetest, most innocent child I had yet seen in all my seven years among the noblest and, in most cases, the blackest aristocrats of the British Wizarding World. I was caught twice and only twice with her. The first time, I was denied food and water. The second, we were both tortured. By my parents. I never saw her again."

I reached across the gap that separated us and squeezed his hand. He looked up with guilt in his pained grey eyes. However, he pulled his hand away.

"You're not telling me something," I accused Sirius.

He bit his lower lip endearingly and muttered, "Mymum'sgonnakillus."

"What?" I asked, unsure if what I had heard was really what he had said.

Sirius looked up and met my eyes for the first time that night. "My mother is going to kill us," he said clearly and seriously.

I bit back a sarcastic retort but apparently could not keep the scepticism from my eyes as Sirius involuntarily thrust out his lower lip like a child. He looked as though he were about to throw a temper tantrum, so I quickly changed the subject.

"Do you need a place to stay? Mi casa es su casa," I said brightly.

Sirius arched an eyebrow. "Pardon?"

"My house is your house," I translated.

"Oh. Right, then. No, I'm alright. I'm on my way to meet up with the Potters in Portugal. I ought to be leaving now," he said while checking his watch.

We embraced and I walked Sirius to the door, exchanged our goodbyes, and he walked alone down the quiet street. I never saw him again.

While that was the last I saw of Sirius, that was not my final confrontation with the Black family. Two days later, Sirius' mother appeared on my doorstep. She was a truly beautiful woman; it was obvious where Sirius had inherited his good looks. However, unlike Sirius' genial air, Mrs. Black had an aura of reserve, aloofness, and deadly beauty. Her atmosphere was reminiscent of an icy street glittering like a multitude of diamonds while waiting to devour its next meal of steel cars and soft flesh.

"Where is he?" the Ice Queen demanded imperiously. She pushed past me as if I was the intruder and walked confidently into my small flat. She sneered as if putting on a smile would cause her to implode from the air tainted by my Mudblood breath.

"Well?" Mrs. Black sniffed, her harsh, haughty voice breaking into my reverie.

I shook my head slowly. She seemed to be sizing me up.

"I don't suppose you'd break under pressure," she murmured quietly. I shook my head again proudly. When I became close to the Ambassador, I had to learn how to keep my thoughts hidden from predators, even under torture. The witch gently touched a finger to my cheek.

"Pity. But you won't be nearly as beautiful as you are now when they're through with you. Expelliarmus." She deftly caught my wand and pocketed it. I stood, unarmed and stunned into silence at this veritable peacock showing off her feathers. The aristocrat reached into the pocket of her ruby red robes and pulled out a medallion. She whispered absentmindedly to it, "She's ready."

As hooded and masked figures in deathblack robes apparated in, Mrs. Black turned and smiled the most stunning smile, accenting her fine features. "Never hurt a Black."

Her deliciously dangerous words shimmered like an icy road between us. In a blink of an eye, she was gone, taking my last chance of life with her.

Good bye for now, my sweet Sirius.


End file.
